Bound by Blood (Bound #1)(7)

“We’ve never met.” Now her voice wasn’t so hesitant, but her fingers were still curled over the mark he’d put on her flesh.

“No, but I’ve watched you.” Before he’d taken over the pack, his job had been to monitor the vampires. To catalog their every move and report back to his alpha. He’d watched and seen a blond beauty gaze up at the sun with tears in her eyes. Her twenty-fifth birthday. The day she’d finally changed.

Lathan, the ex-alpha, had wanted the pureblood taken out. She was supposed to have been a message to the vamps. We’re taking over this town. Time for you to be our bitches. But Jace had seen her stare at that sun, and instead of hurting her, he’d torn his alpha apart.

Wolves couldn’t really recognize their mates on sight. At least, they weren’t supposed to recognize them.

Mine.

“Jace?” He liked the way she said his name, though he would prefer hearing her scream it in pleasure to whispering it so quietly. Later. “You didn’t answer my question,” she said with a lift of that stubborn chin.

He might as well put his cards on the table. In this devil’s bargain, they only had each other. If he couldn’t trust her… then maybe I will be the one to kill her one day.

“A few years back, I was your guard dog.” He used the derogatory term deliberately. A faint furrow appeared between her brows.

“For seven months, I watched you. Day and night.” He’d even seen her drink her first batch of blood—and watched her vomit it out moments later.

She hadn’t wanted to be a monster, but fate had different plans for her. And him. Morgan’s bedroom eyes widened. “When?”

“Right before your change.” His gaze swept over her. “Right before—”

“Right before you took over the pack,” she finished and her hand dropped. Now he was the one surprised. “Did your research on me, did you?”

“Yes.” Flat. “I know all about you. The lives you’ve taken—the vampires you’ve beheaded.”

Because once, that had been his job. Watch. Hunt. Kill.

Until a vampiress had shed tears of blood at sunset.

Not that he’d exactly become Mr. Nice Guy since that night. He just hadn’t killed her.

“You know, and still you’re ready to f*ck me.”

She kept her chin up even as her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “We don’t have to—to f*ck for the bonding to take place. You drank from me, now I just need to drink from you.”Jace slowly shook his head as he stalked toward her. “You think you can drink me, and not want sex?” He understood vampires so well. The reason most of them had stopped taking from live sources was because once they tasted blood—ah, fresh from the vein—the bloodlust tended to overwhelm them.

Her gaze held his. “I can control myself.”

Interesting. His nostrils flared. She had control, but she was also aroused. From the idea of drinking his blood? Or just, from him?

He’d worried that a vampire female would be repulsed by him. Normally, they went for class.

Not for a beast that howled at the moon. But this princess, his princess, was something different. He’d known that for years. He’d just had to bide his time and wait for her.

“You might have control,” he allowed, “but we wolves aren’t exactly known for that.”

“No.” Again, not pulling her punches.

So he wouldn’t either. “And I’ve wanted to f*ck you for ten years.”

Her lips parted, and she gave him a glimpse of those little fangs. “You—what?”

Why did he find her fangs sexy? “I don’t care if drinking me spikes your bloodlust. I don’t care how rough you get.” He wasn’t worried about some bruises and scratches when pleasure waited. “I can handle anything you’ve got,” he told her as his hand stroked down her arm. Such smooth, soft skin.

“Don’t be so sure, wolf.”

But he was. “So why are you doing this?” His hand deliberately brushed the side of her breast. Want a taste. “Why throw yourself to the wolves?”

“I’ll be saving my people.” Her lips firmed. “Isn’t that enough?”

No.

Her lashes swept down but she didn’t back away as she said, “I mean, that’s why you’re doing it, right? You’re sacrificing yourself—mating to a bloodsucker—in order to save your pack.”

He didn’t speak, but Jace did begin undressing her.

“Wh-what are you—”

Her fast stutter almost made him smile. Would have, if he hadn’t been so hard and hungry for her. He couldn’t even draw in a breath without tasting her.

“It’s time to finish this.” They’d done the public ritual, and now they would bond. He could feel a new power filling his body. He’d drank from her only once, and already the change was happening. Soon he’d be infinitely stronger, faster. To stop the demons, he’d have to become more. So would she.

But first, they’d have to f*ck.

Her hands caught his, stilling him.

He stared down at their bodies. She looked so breakable, but wasn’t. Not even close. So why the hell did he feel the need to be gentle with her?

“Don’t worry,” he told her. “I won’t hurt you.”